It's rarely easy to find a consensus opinion in high school sports because passions and allegiances run deep.

There's no debate when it comes to volleyball in the Eastern Connecticut Conference: there's Ledyard - and then there's parity right below the Colonels.

"I think it's going to take a pretty solid game from one team, and (Ledyard) might just have to have an average game, to beat those guys," East Lyme coach Jack Biggs said.

"I hope they're right," Ledyard coach Rich Duwelius laughed. "We're in good shape."

"Good shape" may be underselling it as the Colonels should add more memories to their current run. They won the program's first state title in 2012 (Class M). They moved up to the ECC Large Division last season and won both that and their first ECC tournament since 2001.

Five players return for Ledyard - opposite hitter Mariah Abstetar (a 2013 Day All-Area pick), middle blocker Madison Canestrari, outside hitter Haley Hinton, setter Jenny Nohara, and outside hitter Michelle Klinikowski, The Day's 2013 Volleyball Player of the Year.

Canestrari (6-foot-3) and Klinikowski (6-2) also give Ledyard height that no other ECC team can match.

"We're looking pretty good," Duwelius said. "We're looking very strong with our returning players, but we had to bring up seven new players from the JV who have to be incorporated in there. So we have a blend of experienced players and brand new players."

The presence of Klinikowski greatly helps the Colonels' cause as she's made herself into one of the state's most dominant players. She had 256 kills last season and gave Division I Boston College a verbal commitment in April.

"She's playing better across the board," Duwelius said. "She's one of those players who plays on club teams in the offseason, as well as Madison, Jenny and Mariah. They've all gotten better from year-to-year.

"(Klinikowski's) serving, passing and hitting, everything is looking better from her and from all of them, really."

The Large Division figures to be the conference's best with the usual suspects of East Lyme, Fitch and Norwich Free Academy in the mix.

Libero Michelina Pinto was a Day All-Area pick last season for Fitch. Setter Mae Sefransky, middle hitter Sofie Clark, outside hitter Mackenzie Aldridge, and right-side hitter Caroline Taber are all veterans, too.

"We're pretty solid," Falcons coach Steve Banks said. "We have a really good setter (Sefransky) who I think is one of the better setters in the state. She's fantastic, and our attack is starting to come together."

NFA advanced to the second round of Class LL before losing to eventual champion Cheshire in four games. Staples, the state runnerup, was the only other team to take a game from Cheshire during the tournament.

"The good news is that we return four starters and we have a lot of size," Wildcats coach Bill Howard said. "Not quite Ledyard-size, but a lot of size."

East Lyme is in an unfamiliar position as Savahna Johnson is the only returning starter, and Maggy Powers has varsity experience. The Vikings also assembled what Biggs said may be their toughest schedule. East Lyme plays Class L runnerup Farmington and Class S champion Morgan this week. It will also play Class L champion RHAM, perennial power Coventry, and Newtown.

"We're so young," Biggs said. "We're building from the ground up."

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @metalned